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Microsoft Outlook accessibility statement

This accessibility statement applies to Outlook, New Outlook, and Outlook on the web.

This website is run by University College London (UCL). We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website, which means that you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate the website using just a keyboard
  • navigate the website using speech recognition software
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

My Computer My Way has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability. We have provided accessibility guidance on how to navigate Outlook via our Microsoft 365 Accessibility hub site. The Creating Accessible Content section has information on using the Microsoft Accessibility Checker for email, and links to further guidance on making emails accessible.

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible. You can see a full list of issues we currently know about in the non-accessible content section of this statement.

Feedback and contact information

Please contact us if you have an accessibility query including:

  • If you are experiencing issues with accessing information or using the service
  • If you find an accessibility problem not listed on this statement
  • If you have positive feedback on the accessibility considerations made. 

When you contact us there is a process in place that will acknowledge your contact, tell you who is dealing with it and give you a timescale by which you can expect a reply:

The IT (Information Technology) Services Service desk aims to respond to emails within one business day. 

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF (Portable Document Format), large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please contact us.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact us:

Read tips on contacting organisations about inaccessible websites.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

If you are in Northern Ireland and are not happy with how we respond to your complaint you can contact the Equalities Commission for Northern Ireland who are responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’) in Northern Ireland.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

University College London is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

This section covers issues that we need to fix and are working to do so.

Outlook

Keyboard
  • All the panes in Outlook are accessible and user can resize/move the panes using the top menu with Ctrl+Space. Users are unable to get to the top menu using Ctrl+Space only in the Notification pane. As a workaround for closing notifications and any other tab in Outlook, users can press Alt+N. This fails WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard (A).
Non-text Contrast
  • Outlook meets the required non-text contrast throughout the app except for the keyboard focus on the link in the email body. Users can see all the links properly in all the themes and it has the proper required color contrast as well. Users can read them and when link has the keyboard focus it has a bit lower contrast, but still it can be viewed as focused element. This fails WCAG 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (AA 2.1 only).
Focus Visible
  • In Outlook, keyboard Tab/Arrow focus are properly visible except for "Search in" and "Attachment" dropdown in Advanced search dialog. Users can press Spacebar and it will launch the options, which confirms the component has keyboard focus. This fails WCAG 2.4.7 Focus Visible (AA).

New Outlook

Info and Relationships
  • Screen reader announces incorrect state as 'unavailable' on ‘Open card for control’.
  • Screen reader doesn't announce the associated label at the account buttons.
  • Screen reader doesn't announce the associated label information at combo box.
  • Screen reader doesn't announce the associated label information at check boxes.
  • Screen reader doesn't announce the associated label information at combo box.
  • Screen reader does not announce any information after activating 'RSVP' control.

This fails WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (A).

Use of Colour
  • Colour is the only way to convey focused recipient in suggestions, and the only way to convey selection state for buttons like 'Bold, italic, etc. This fails WCAG 1.4.1 Use of Colour (A).
Keyboard
  • Unable to navigate to Other New messages in Message list in Mail tab with keyboard.
  • Keyboard focus is not navigating to 'Show date picker' button upon hitting tab from 'date field' in 'Priority Matrix' card.
  • No action is performed upon hitting enter on 'View/Edit Notes' button in "Priority Matrix" component.

This fails WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard (A).

Focus Order
  • Keyboard focus does not go to reading pane in SERP.
  • Focus starts from top of message list while moving between folders, instead of staying on last interacted mail item of folders.
  • Upon activating search results focus does not fall on first search result, users need to use tab followed by down arrow to access search results.
  • Upon invoking 'Roll Out Overrides' From ribbon focus does not fall on opened right side pane.

This fails WCAG 2.4.3 Focus Order (A).

Labels or Instructions
  • Screen reader is not reading the label “current meeting time is.” This fails WCAG 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (A)
Name, Role, Value
  • Screen Reader does not announce role for "Remove recipient" button.
  • Screen reader does not announce role for 'Remove recipient' control.
  • Name property is not defined for Drop down in Notifications group.
  • Button name is not defined at element and associated label name is not announced.
  • Ensure every ARIA button, link and menu item has an accessible name in 'Priority Matrix' card.

This fails WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (A).

Orientation
  • Ribbon pane is getting overlapped with the edit field / Message list with Orientation mode. This fails WCAG 1.3.4 Orientation (AA 2.1 only).
Contrast (Minimum)
  • Color contrast ratio for "Please do not include... placeholder text is less than minimum required ratio of 4.5:1
  • Color contrast ratio for the grey description text in Settings for notification styles is less than minimum required ratio of 4.5:1
  • Color contrast ratio of search, Heading, Search results is having less than the minimum requirement 4.5:1 in Dark mode.
  • Luminosity ratio of text in “Discard” pop up is less than minimum required ratio of 4.5:1

This fails WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (AA).

Resize text
  • Ribbon pane is getting overlapped with the edit field in New Mail dialog with Text scaling mode. This fails WCAG 1.4.4 Resize text (AA).
Focus Visible
  • Keyboard focus is not visible on 'Add another Section and Add another Conditions' buttons in rules dialog.
  • Keyboard focus indicator is not visible on the screen while scrolling through the suggestion list.

This fails WCAG 2.4.7 Focus Visible (AA).

Status Messages
  • Screen reader does not announce instant message displayed while searching for invalid results like '123' etc. This fails WCAG 4.1.3 Status Messages (AA).

Outlook on the Web (OWA)

Info and Relationships
  • Selected state is not announced by Narrator upon navigating to "Use Parent folder policy menu item" in assign policy dropdown.
  • Search Scope Selector when searching emails on Outlook web does not retain user choice in GCC environment of Outlook web.

This fails WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (A).

Use of Colour
  • A rounded rectangle carousel should be available on the Suggested contacts drop down. This fails WCAG 1.4.1 Use of Colour (A).
Keyboard
  • Arrow Key Navigation does not work at Category Filter button in the Ribbon tab.
  • Search directory and Submit search feedback buttons are not accessible with keyboard on @mentions in New Mail.
  • Focus does not go to the Agenda pane.

This fails WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard (A).

Bypass Blocks
  • Message body does not have regions in GCC environment of Outlook web. This fails WCAG 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (A).
Name, Role, Value
  • Accessibility VoiceOver issue on People dropdown.
  • E-mail reaction is not conveyed by Screen reader in the notification Pane i.e., what reaction they have received to their email.
  • No name is defined for "More options" button in Mail.
  • Checked status is not announced by Narrator on navigating to "appointments button" as visually it is checked.
  • Screen reader is announcing as "File" on navigating to the "Mail" suggested in search suggestion.
  • Screen reader should announce the Expand and collapse state about the filter button.

This fails WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (A).

Contrast (Minimum)
  • Color contrast of the Placeholder text is less than minimum required ratio of 4.5:1. This fails WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (AA).
Reflow
  • Unable to access the 'add title/message body' fields in reflow mode, when browser zoom is set to 400%. This fails WCAG 1.4.10 Reflow (AA 2.1 only).

Outlook is a third-party application, and these issues require fixes to be applied by Microsoft. We have contacted Microsoft asking for an update on when these issues will be fixed and will provide updates based on their roadmap.

If you find an issue that we have yet to identify, please contact us using one of the routes described in the ‘Reporting accessibility problems with this website’ section of this statement.

Disproportionate burden

At this time, we have not made any disproportionate burden claims.

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

At this time, we have not identified any content that is not within scope of the accessibility regulations.

Our testing processes

We referred to the Microsoft Outlook conformance report found on the Microsoft Accessibility Conformance Reports pages.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

UCL has created a Digital Accessibility Policy to help us embed accessible by design approaches to our own development as well as externally procured digital systems and we are actively engaged in processes to assess and prioritise remediation of existing systems.

In addition, accessibility is at the heart of our new Design System that will underpin all future digital system development. 

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 27 November 2023. It was last reviewed on 27 November 2023.

This website was last tested on 27 November 2023. The test was carried out by Microsoft.